Free Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L. Reid

mother. “Read for yourself.”
    Her mother caught it and read, her face reddening with anger. “I can see why you’re upset.” She balled up the letter. “I know you’re hurting, but cutting your hair isn’t going to help.” Her mother stroked her shoulder and tried to pull her into a hug.
    Quinn stiffened at her mother’s touch and jerked away. “It’s my hair.” Quinn busied herself with picking up the shorn locks.
    “Talk to me.” She squatted to help, eye level with Quinn. “You have to face your problems, Quinn. You can’t run away from them.”
    “Why not? Everyone else in our family does. I’m just doing what you and Dad taught me.” Quinn spat the words like venom, throwing a handful of golden hair in her mother’s face.
    Her mother stiffened and brushed the strands from her blouse. “Fine. I came home to check on you because I was worried. I skipped out on a meeting with a client, and for what? To be greeted by a four-year-old in a teenager’s body. I’m sick of this tantrum.”
    “You don’t know anything about me.”
    “How can I? You won’t even talk to me. You don’t think that letter hurts me too? You can talk to me.”
    “It’s a little too late to play the caring mother.”
    Her mother yanked the top flap of her briefcase open, grabbed her wallet, and threw six twenties on the floor. “That’s to fix your hair. I’ve got to get back to work.”
    “That’s right, mother, go hide at your office! Drown your sorrows in your new career!” Quinn plugged the radio back in, and the music exploded.
    Her mother slammed the bedroom door, and Quinn fell into a heap on the bed. All the anger poured out of her, leaving her limp and empty until exhaustion overwhelmed her. She crawled into bed, moving the decorative pillows to one side, and curled into a ball beneath the cool sheets.
    One long sigh escaped her lips, and she saw her breath, a cold gray fog expelling from her lungs. The lights flickered, drenching the room in darkness. Her heart jumped as shadows gathered around, inching forward. She needed a caffeine pill and another energy drink. But resisting the soft, warm, comfort of her bed wasn’t possible. Completely drained, her body refused her command. Even her mind slipped free of her control, drifting into unconsciousness. Five minutes. Just five minutes. Nightmares couldn’t really hurt her. That’s all they were. She could let herself sleep for five minutes, right? She tried to clear her mind, thinking only good thoughts, but the events of the day played over and over in her head. The shadows, the voices, the fog—all tumbled out of the recesses as the dream reeled her in.
    Kerstin stood over her bed, red hair curling like worms around her pale face. She cocked her head and breathed out. Smoke slithered from her lips, filling the space around her until she disappeared in the swirling gray. Beside her, Quinn sensed the shadows gathering, but couldn’t wake. Sleep paralysis had gripped her as her body shut down to enter REM sleep. Desperate to sleep and powerless to wake, she tried to influence the dream instead. Alone among the swirling gray where Kerstin had previously stood, she filled her lungs and blew against the fog. Her breath grew into a mighty wind, forcing the dull smoke away as she focused her thoughts on something beautiful. The lake in Colorado where she used to summer with her parents, her favorite place, appeared before her.
    The darkness howled as she pushed it further to the edges of her consciousness. Now free of their influence, her mind relaxed, and she sensed a shift in the dream. For the first time in months, she was in control.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    Aaron turned the key in the lock, glad to be home. He dropped his backpack and helmet on the table by the door.
    “Dad?”
    The smell of Wild Turkey hit him as he walked into the living room, burning his nose. “Hey, Dad, I’m home.” Aaron turned the light on and opened the bay window. “Did you remember